View Full Version : Modified Washering machine drain...still overflows
lcastro
09-19-2007, 08:31 AM
Thanks for the feedback..
I did the changes that were recommended to me in regards to the drainage to our washing machine.
It still overflows when the washing machine is draining. At first I can hear the water flow run smooth, then I can hear the standpipe getting filled and then start overflowing...
Please advice..
Thank You
jadnashua
09-19-2007, 08:45 AM
Is the pipe 1.5 or 2"? The new requirements are for 2"
lcastro
09-19-2007, 10:22 AM
Thanks...
its 2" inch pipe
Gary Swart
09-19-2007, 11:44 AM
It does look like 1-1/2" in the photo. Are there any pipe size reductions in the drain that we can't see? Apart from that, I think your problem is the trap is too high. In other words, the standpipe is too short. I[d lower the trap to as close to the floor as possible and extend the standpipe upward at least as much as you lower the trap.
geniescience
09-19-2007, 12:02 PM
laudry room drain issue... please advice
This is the name of your previous thread, which is still running (!!) Did you lose track of it?
You already redid your visible pipes last week. So you know they are clean.
Something else farther downstream is probably the problem. The trap is a couple inches higher than it could have been, but that is not a big deal. How many inches tall is the standpipe now? How much water escapes when it overflows, approximately? Is your washer an old top loading or a new front loading washer? Any more info you can provide is good to have.
Are you aware that Grumpyplumber told you to snake from the cleanout? To check why it blocks. Maybe you have a reducer downstream. Maybe an object stuck.
What is your plumbing like downstream beyond the visible part that your photo shows? How many bends, how big a pipe? Any info you can provide is good to have.
david
geniescience
09-19-2007, 12:23 PM
one more thing:
don't assume that your pipe has to be increased to 2", if you find that it is a 1.5" diameter after all.
millions of standpipes are still 1.5" and they are all working fine, and it is still code in places, too.
I'd like to know if or what is blocking flow just a few inches downstream of the visible stuff we see in the picture. Can you go downstairs and feel it filling up with water starting at a certain point in the line? Are your pipes properly sized, below?
david
lcastro
09-19-2007, 07:11 PM
The standpipe is 28 inches. The bottom of the p-trap is 12 inches.
The washer is a new front loader. The overflow is about a 2-3 cups full.
The pipe is 2" that goes to the 4" kitchen main.
I snake it out, I put pressure water through it and there was no problem.
Thanks,,
patrick88
09-19-2007, 08:00 PM
Is it water or laundry soap coming out? If it is just soap I would think you might be using to much. The newer machines use less water so need less soap.
I snake it out, I put pressure water through it and there was no problem.
Trying a blow bag is a nice trick but doesn't work all the time. Just because it ran with no problems doesn't make your drains clear. You could have a partial blockage.
geniescience
09-19-2007, 09:09 PM
what used to work before, or is this all new? Did you have any other washer before? May be useful to know.
... You could have a partial blockage. i think so too. it is a sensible explanation, worth considering.
david
AZ Contractor
09-20-2007, 01:36 AM
Either you have a partial blockage below your cleanout or your vent pipe is capped.
got_nailed
09-20-2007, 06:35 AM
What else feeds into the line above and below the washer?
I do think you need to get a snake and the right head on it and snake it out.
The snake should have a head on it that is almost the same size as the ID of the pipe.
This will insure that the pipe is clear.
If this is going under a slab you may have a belly that is causing the back up if it has been snaked properly and then still backs up.
What type of snake did you use.
the couplings you have on the pipe in the pic is wrong they should be banded couplings.
The longer it takes for the pipe to fill and overflow, the further away the problem is. If the horizontal line is too long to be adequate for the flow, then nothing will cure the problem. But in most cases it is a partial stoppage and until we knew what you used to snake it with, we don't know if you did a proper job on it. If you used a HD $9.95 special then it was inadequate.
GrumpyPlumber
09-20-2007, 07:24 AM
Cass brought up a point I meant to...could be a back-pitch.
If so, the solution ain't good, gotta get the pipe under the floor pitched correctly.
lcastro
09-20-2007, 09:25 AM
Cass brought up a point I meant to...could be a back-pitch.
If so, the solution ain't good, gotta get the pipe under the floor pitched correctly.
The pitch is about 30 degrees, the length of the pipe to main from cleanout is 3 feet.
My last resolution before I start breaking concerate is to lower the p-trap another 6" or lower if code allows so that the standpipe becomes larger to about 34-36".
The water has more soapy.
Thanks,,
patrick88
09-20-2007, 06:24 PM
Sounds like lowering the "P" trap might be a good idea.
If your main drain is running slow it might only show when you run your laundry.
To much soap is not a good thing. I have also seen strange things with powder soap. It does some crazy stuff with todays low flow laundries and dish washers
geniescience
09-20-2007, 10:07 PM
run it without soap once or twice, on the eco-saver cycle that uses the least water. Just to know whether soap is the thing. It is a possibility.
Can you tell us what the previous machine was like? Before you got this modern one.
david
One thing I have done on occasion with a 1.5" laundry drain T is to install a 2" trap and stand pipe.
This has helped in some situations. All it does is hold a greater volume of water.